I am working on fixed-term contracts as a part-time teacher. Both the contracts I have been given so far last for about 10 weeks. They give a fixed hourly rate but do not give any provision for holiday or sick pay. Is this legal? I have not signed the contract. There was also a break between the two periods of one month.

The director of the establishment says that this is justified. There is another person doing the same duties as me - but the other person also fulfils 'other duties', according to the director. This, he feels, means that I cannot argue that I am being given less favourable treatment under the fixed-term contract workers regulations of 2002.

Your employer appears to be in breach of the Working Time Regulations. These entitle you to 20 days' paid holiday a year - or pro rata if you are part-time. So, if you work half-time, for instance, you will clock up 10 days holiday in a year - or just under two days in a 10-week period. Your right to paid holiday is not undermined by the regulations on fixed-term contract workers to which the director refers. These state that people on fixed-term contracts should not be treated less favourably than other comparable colleagues - unless there is good justification for such variation of treatment.

In practice, most employers of people on short-term contracts such as yours would give an extra payment to cover the holiday that has accrued but which has not been taken.

Sickness pay is a different issue. You have a basic right to statutory sick pay - to the extent that your employment record enables you to claim it. In your case, you may not qualify - as it is not usually paid to people on contracts shorter than three months. Your employer may be able to justify giving better sick-pay terms, above the statutory scheme, to people on indefinite contracts of employment.

· Legal advice from Lewis Silkin. If you have a work problem, write to Neasa MacErlean at Cash, The Observer, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER.